Will Davis, DE, Illinois

Will Davis has been a jack of all trades during his time at Illinois. He was recruited as a wide receiver out of high school, but his coaches decided to convert him to tight end during the spring of his freshman year. Davis appeared in 12 games without registering a catch in 2005. He was asked to change positions again before his sophomore year, this time finding a permanent home at defensive end. Davis played in all 12 games during the 2006 season, even getting the starting job for the final two games of the season. He had a breakout campaign as a junior in 2008, registering 41 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, and forcing 1 fumble. Davis had a disappointing season this year, as did many of the Fighting Illini. He tallied 36 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 4 passes broken up in coverage, 1 forced fumble, and a blocked kick on special teams. Davis will be a difficult prospect for NFL scouts to evaluate this year. He is a tremendous athlete, but his lowered production and lack of a true position make his chances hard to pinpoint. At 6'3" and 268 pounds, he would be slightly undersized at defensive end. He does have excellent speed and has shown good instincts in coverage this year. That may lead many scouts to view him as a 3-4 rush linebacker or simply a third down, pass rush specialist. This may hurt his stock because he lacks experience at the position. He has the talent of a first day pick, but will likely have to wait until the fifth or sixth round to hear his name called. Will Davis participated in January's Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. Davis didn't do much to impress scouts during the week of practice. He tallied just 1 tackle during the weekend's game as well. Davis is talented, but his inconsistency will likely keep him down in the fifth or sixth round of the draft. Once again, Will Davis did little to distinguish himself at the NFL Combine. He ran an unspectacular 4.90 40 yard dash and had just 27 reps on the bench press, which was bested by several smaller ends. Davis is a late sixth or seventh round prospect at this point in the process.